Sourdough Neapolitan Pizza with Polselli Classica Tipo 00 Flour

Sourdough gives Neapolitan pizza a deeper flavor, a lighter crumb and a crust that stays crisp longer. The key is choosing a flour strong enough to handle the acidity of a natural starter. This recipe is written for Polselli Classica Tipo 00, the classic Italian 00 flour made for Neapolitan-style pizza.

Meet the flour: Polselli Classica Tipo 00

• Strength (W): 270
• Protein: 12%
• Suggested fermentation: 8 to 10 hours
• Unbleached and unbromated, milled in Italy
• Works with pre-ferments: well suited to biga and poolish builds
• Ovens: home ovens and high-heat pizza ovens

Why Classica works for sourdough

Sourdough is acidic, and acid slowly weakens gluten. At W 270 and 12% protein, Classica has the strength to hold its structure through a natural fermentation and a longer cold rest. That means you can use a slightly higher hydration, give the dough a few more folds and let it rest in the fridge for up to a day, building more flavor along the way.

Ingredients (4 pizzas, about 270 g each)

• 600 g Polselli Classica Tipo 00 Flour
• 390 g cool water, 64 to 68°F (65% hydration)
• 90 g active sourdough starter (100% hydration), used at its peak
• 17 g SoSalt Fine Sea Salt from Sicily

For the topping: 400 g hand-crushed San Marzano tomatoes, 320 g fior di latte or buffalo mozzarella (well drained), fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil, and a pinch of SoSalt for the sauce.

Why fine Sicilian sea salt?

Salt seasons the crust, tightens the gluten and slows fermentation, which keeps a sourdough from running too fast. SoSalt Fine Sea Salt is hand-harvested from the salt pans between Trapani and Marsala in Sicily and evaporated naturally by the sun. It is all natural and non-iodized, and its fine grain dissolves quickly and evenly through the dough. Pizzerias can stock up with the 5 kg foodservice bucket. For more, read The Salt Secret in Neapolitan Pizza Dough.

Method

1. Activate the starter. Feed it 4 to 6 hours ahead and use it at its peak, doubled and domed.
2. Mix. Dissolve the starter in about 350 g of the water. Add the flour gradually and mix until no dry flour remains. Rest 20 minutes.
3. Add salt and knead. Add the sea salt with the remaining water. Knead 10 to 12 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
4. Bulk ferment. Cover and leave 3 to 4 hours at 72 to 75°F. Give the dough 3 sets of stretch-and-folds at 30, 60 and 90 minutes. It should rise about 30 to 50%.
5. Ball. Divide into 4 balls of about 270 g. Shape with good surface tension and place in a lightly oiled, covered container or dough tray.
6. Cold rest. Refrigerate at 39°F for 18 to 24 hours.
7. Temper. Take the balls out 3 to 4 hours before baking. They should be relaxed, soft and dotted with small bubbles.
8. Prep sauce and oven. Season the crushed tomatoes with SoSalt and a drizzle of olive oil. Do not cook the sauce. Preheat a home oven to its maximum (480 to 550°F) with a stone or steel on the top rack for 1 hour, or a wood-fired or pizza oven to 800 to 900°F.
9. Stretch. On a lightly floured surface, press from the center out and leave a 3/4-inch rim untouched. Stretch to about 11 to 12 inches. No rolling pin.
10. Bake. Top with about 100 g sauce, a quarter of the mozzarella and a drizzle of oil. Bake 6 to 8 minutes in a home oven (broil for the last minute) or 60 to 90 seconds in a pizza oven, turning often. Finish with fresh basil and raw olive oil.

Tips

• Same-day option: After bulk fermentation, ball the dough and leave it at room temperature for 4 to 6 hours instead of refrigerating. That keeps the total time close to Classica's suggested 8 to 10 hour window.
• Warm kitchen (over 79°F): Reduce the starter to 60 g and shorten the bulk.
• Sticky dough: Drop the water to 375 g (62.5% hydration).
• Dusting: Use Polselli Voila' Spolvero on the bench so the dough slides onto the peel without sticking.
• Prefer organic? Try our sourdough pizza with Polselli Organic Tipo 00, written for a W 220 flour and a shorter cold rest.

Stock up on Polselli Classica Tipo 00 (5 kg), or the 25 kg bag for your pizzeria, and bake pizza the way they do in Naples.